“What is the answer to the ultimate question of our need to belong, to be loved…to be part of something enormous and greater than ourselves?” (quote from upcoming movie Irreplaceable)
This is a great question that plagues just about every single person in the world. Each and every one of us has this desire embedded in to our hearts. I don’t care how tough you think you are men, you need to be loved, respected, and cherished by a loving wife. You desire to have children that look up to you and want to be like you. You want to leave a lasting impression on your family that will live long beyond your time here on earth.
Unfortunately, there is a problem that has been sweeping our world for a long time. It’s called selfishness. Were you expecting some big, philosophical, mind-boggling word that you’d have to look up in the latest edition of the dictionary? Nope. That’s it. Pure, unadulterated, selfishness.
America has become an experimental, experience-driven culture. Rather than learn from objective information and teaching based on that information, people prefer to follow their instincts and let the chips fall where they may. ~ George Barna
The family is being ripped apart. Ripped apart by selfish individuals who prefer to live life without consequence. They don’t understand the sanctity of marriage. They don’t care, or give thought to who they are affecting when they decide to give up because of their selfishness. What seems to be the most popular reason for divorce is “irreconcilable differences”. You know what this means? It means the man in the relationship has lost all site of what it means to be a man. To step up and fight for the marriage. Simply because he has allowed his pride to swell up within him and turn a blind eye to his innate desire to be loved. I’m so sick and tired of the selfishness that drives our culture. America has become a bunch of self-indulged men (who are only receiving that term based upon the pieces and parts they were born with. Not because of their character and integrity) who have no backbone to stand up for what is right. The men in our society have become nothing more that a slew of cowardly punks, while thinking they are being men, shy away from responsibility to live a sluggish, shallow, narrow-sighted life.
I have no desire in this moment to speak to the women out there. You know why? The success or failure of marriage lies solely upon the man. I’m not being sexist. I’m being real. If women have to be the ones to save the marriage and family, the men have failed to be men. They have failed in their task to be their wife’s pride and joy. They have failed to gain the respect of their children, who will now look to anyone and anything else for love, support, and the guidance they need to traverse this crazy life.
Men, is your marriage on the verge of collapsing? Save it! Relinquish whatever pride you may think you have, man up, and save your family. Save your wife from falling in to the arms of another man. Save your children from crashing head first in to our culture’s welcoming arms of promiscuity.
I’m gonna go ahead and put this out there. Every ill of society. Every problem we face in our world turned upside down, all of it, is because men have stopped being men.
The entire concept of marriage and family is dependent upon husbands and fathers who strive to be the example to their families as Christ is to the church. Oh, now you’re getting all religious on us! You’re darn right I am! It’s because men, past and present, have allowed our society to become a nation gone under. Why? Because we’ve taken our eyes off of the ultimate example of manhood: Jesus Christ. Our culture screams, “God is dead!” “God has no place in society!” “Keep your religion to yourself!” And look at the amazing results. Can you honestly tell me that we are at the height of human enlightenment? Are you really gonna sit there and tell me that we are at the pinnacle of human achievement and societal bliss? No, we’re not. Because there is no unifying factor that’s driving us. There is nothing that we’re standing on. It’s selfishness.
We need true, biblically based, solid men NOW. More than any other time in our history, it’s time for men to step up. Stop clamoring for the next promotion. Your job doesn’t define you. Stop looking to what the entertainment industry defines as manliness (Hollywood is more lost than anyone, and yet they have the greatest influence). Seriously, give me any example of Hollywood elite that has a stable, God-fearing family. What’s the best show on television (or Netflix) that represents a strong, God-fearing husband and father? It doesn’t exist. If it does, it’s probably on its way to cancellation, or hasn’t even been heard of. If life imitates art, we’re doing a darn good job. Hollywood has absolutely no respect for the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, or the roles of husband and father.
Stop living for what will pass away in a moment, and fight for what lasts for eternity. Your wife will love and appreciate you. Your children will come to respect and value you. You will find and cherish what every single one of us is looking for. The fulfillment of belonging, of being loved, and being part of something enormous and greater than ourselves: Family.
Cameron Stevens 